Hitters squander into a lot of trouble

The table was set rather nicely Sunday for the Angels, but when it came time to clean up against the White Sox, the busboys were usually on break.

After scoring twice in the fourth inning on Robb Quinlan’s RBI double and Erick Aybar’s RBI single, the Angels left two runners on to end the inning. They stranded two in the fifth, two in the sixth -- after Quinlan’s solo homer gave them a 3-0 lead -- and two more in the seventh.

The Angels had a chance to win in the ninth when they put two on with one out, but Casey Kotchman grounded into a fielder’s choice, and Shea Hillenbrand grounded to the pitcher.

And in the 10th, the Angels put two on with one out when Mike Napoli walked and Tommy Murphy, making his first start of the season, hit his third single of the day. But Reggie Willits and Chone Figgins struck out against closer Bobby Jenks, who preserved Chicago’s 4-3 victory.

Final figures of futility for the Angels: one for 11 with runners in scoring position, 14 left on base.

“We had guys in scoring position,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “Our opportunity to put that game away was lost as the game progressed. We could have broken the game open with a hit or two with guys in scoring position, and we had a couple of chances to win the game but couldn’t get it done.”

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White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski seemed to relish his role as Angels nemesis Sunday, hitting a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning and a game-winning single in the 10th.

Pierzynski, notorious for being the player who sprinted to first base on a disputed third strike that umpire Doug Eddings ruled hit the dirt, sparking a winning rally in Game 2 of the 2005 American League championship series against the Angels, was booed before every at-bat over the weekend.

“It makes you happy when you hit a home run and the crowd is booing ... it gets you a little excited,” Pierzynski said. “They will always boo me [here]. That’s good. It means they have good fans, people who remember, people who care. It’s good for the game.”

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Reliever Justin Speier, who said flu-like symptoms prevented him from attending Saturday’s game, returned Sunday to Angel Stadium but was not available to pitch against the White Sox. The right-hander was expected to be ready for Tuesday night’s game against Cleveland.

“Things are going in the right direction,” said Speier, who has a 1.69 earned-run average and has limited opponents to a .130 average in 15 appearances. “I’m still a little weak right now. I’m getting over it. I’m going to rest up and see how I feel later.”

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Utility player Maicer Izturis, out since April 30 because of a tight right hamstring, will begin running Tuesday and is expected to be activated when he is eligible to come off the disabled list May 15.

mike.digiovanna@latimes.com